When a parent who was registered with Social Security or had contributed enough passes away, their children may be entitled to an orphan's pension, a benefit designed to guarantee their support until they reach a certain age or become financially independent.
Who is entitled to an orphan's pension
Generally, the deceased's children (biological or adopted) under 21, or older children with a recognized disability equal to or above a certain degree, are entitled to this pension, provided the deceased parent met the required prior contribution conditions (with the same particularities already mentioned for other death-related benefits: no prior contribution requirement if death results from a workplace accident or occupational illness).
The extension up to age 25 in certain cases
If the orphan is not working, or their earned income is below a certain threshold, and other circumstances also apply (such as neither parent being alive, or the orphan having a recognized disability below the general threshold but still relevant), the age limit for receiving the pension can be extended up to 25, instead of the general limit of 21.
How the amount is calculated
The amount is calculated by applying a percentage (generally 20% of the deceased's regulatory base) for each child entitled to this pension, a calculation similar in logic to the widow's/widower's pension but with a different percentage applied independently to each beneficiary child.
What happens if there are several siblings entitled to an orphan's pension
When there are several children entitled to an orphan's pension, each receives their own percentage independently based on the regulatory base, though there may also be a combined limit (together with the surviving spouse's widow's/widower's pension, if any) on the total that can be shared among all beneficiaries relative to the deceased's full regulatory base.
Total orphanhood: when both parents pass away
If both parents pass away (a situation of total orphanhood), the percentage applicable to each child's orphan's pension can be increased, absorbing, depending on the case, the share that would have gone to a widow's/widower's pension that no longer has a beneficiary, up to the combined limit set by regulation.
How it's requested
As with other death-related benefits, the orphan's pension must be formally requested from the National Social Security Institute, providing documentation proving the death and the filiation with the deceased parent (family record book or other equivalent documentation).
Check other related benefits too
If you find yourself in this situation, it's worth also looking into other benefits the family may be entitled to. Our retirement pension calculator can serve as an orientative reference for the general calculation system for pensions based on the regulatory base.